THE NATION: The Dangers of Pressure

For three hours, one morning last week,
the President of the U.S. sat alone in the White House. He had put
aside the time to weigh, personally and privately, the critical
situation in Asia and the hard decisions that it may force upon him.

Late in January the Congress, at his request, had passedalmost
unanimouslya resolution giving him full authority to use U.S. forces
as he saw fit for the defense of Formosa and related territories. The
U.S. was committed to defend Formosa and the Pescadores; the open
question was what it would...